About this book

Our understanding of the historical ecology of European forests has been transformed in the last twenty years. Bringing together key findings from across the continent, Europe's Changing Woods and Forests: From Wildwood to Managed Landscapes provides a comprehensive account of recent research and the relevance of historical studies to our current conservation and management of forests.

Combining theory with a series of regional case studies, Europe's Changing Woods and Forests shows how different aspects of forestry play out according to the landscape and historical context of the local area, with broad implications for woodland history, policy and management. Beginning with an overview of Europe's woods and forests, Europe's Changing Woods and Forests reviews a variety of management techniques (including wood-pastures, coppicing, close-to-nature forestry and the impact of hunting), describes how plants and animals respond to changes in woodland and forest cover, and includes case histories from around the continent. It concludes with a discussion of how lessons learned from the past can help in the future. Europe's Changing Woods and Forests is both a vital resource and an interesting read for foresters, conservationists, landscape historians, geographers and ecologists.

"this is an interesting collection of papers that will be very helpful to students and practitioners who wish to understand the historical and ecological context within which modern forestry operates across Europe."– Chartered Forester

Contents

ContributorsPrefaceAcknowledgements

PART 1. Introduction and OverviewChapter 1. Overview of Europe’s woods and forests1.1 Introduction1.2 The current state and composition of European woods and forests1.2.1 European forests in a global context1.2.2 Variation in forest cover across the continent1.2.3 Variation in forest composition1.3 Forestry policy and cooperation at a European level 01.3.1 Forestry policy1.3.2 Conservation measures1.3.3 Landscape and amenity conservation.1.3.4 Certification as an approach to sustainable forestry management1.3.5 Forest research cooperation across Europe1.4 Conclusion1.5 References

Chapter 3. The forest landscape before farming3.1 Where to begin?3.2 A cold open continent3.3 Trees spread back after the ice3.3.1 Forming a canopy 53.3.2 The wood beneath the trees3.3.3 Molecular markers for re-colonisation routes.3.4 A holey blanket of trees3.5 The role of large herbivores, particularly bison, wild horse and aurochs3.6 People in the landscape: the trees in retreat3.7 References

Chapter 4. Evolution of modern landscapes4.1 Introduction4.2 The emergence of woodland management4.3 Changes in forest extent and distribution4.3.1 Reductions in forest cover4.3.2 Increases as well as decreases4.3.3 Patterns of clearance and survival4.3.4 The ecological consequences of a patchy landscape4.4 Changes in structure and composition through management4.5 Deliberate modification of the tree and shrub composition of forests4.6 Other species gains and losses4.7 Changes to the fire regime4.8 Changes to the forest soil4.9 Forests and atmospheric pollution4.10 Climate change4.11 Conclusion4.12 References

PART 2. The variety of management across European woods and forestsChapter 5 Wood-pastures in Europe5.1 Introduction5.2 Wood-pasture: a multi-purpose system5.3 Historical development of wood-pastures in Europe5.3.1 Forest grazing and pasturing in ancient times5.3.2 Driving the livestock out of the forest (18th-19th centuries)5.3.4. New recognition for wood-pastures?5.4 National inventories of wood-pastures5.5 Wood-pastures as multi-functional landscape elements: past and present5.6 Threats to wood-pastures5.6.1 Management changes5.6.2 Policy mismatch5.6.3 Decline of old, hollowing or dying trees5.6.4 Lack of regeneration5.7 Conclusions5.8 Acknowledgements5.9 References

Chapter 6 Coppice silviculture: from the Mesolithic to the 21st century6.1 Introduction6.2 The physiological and evolutionary significance of coppice6.3 Historic development of coppice silviculture6.4 The rise and fall of coppice as an industrial resource6.5 Surviving and neglected coppice in Europe: the extent of the forest estate6.6 Coppice silviculture6.6.1 Cutting methods6.6.2 Time of cutting6.7 Conversion to high forest6.7.1 Coppice versus high forest yields6.8 Reinstating coppice management6.9 Future drivers of change6.10 References

Chapter 7. High forest management and the rise of even-aged stands7.1 Introduction7.2 Changing from coppice to high forest systems7.3 The need for new administrative tools7.4 Silvicultural systems7.5. The rise of plantations7.6. Increased use of conifers and introduced species7.7 How forestry is changing7.8. Future high forest and natural forest structures7.9 References

Chapter 8 Close-to-nature forestry8.1 Introduction8.2 Roots and pre-requisites8.3 Developments in the 20th century8.4 Ecological implications8.5 Conclusion8.6 ReferencesChapter 9 The impact of hunting on European woodland from medieval to modern9.1 Introduction9.2 Early impacts of hunting9.3 Meat or merit?9.4 Medieval hunting reserves9.5 Early modern hunting parks in Europe9.6 Hunting and the wider landscape9.7 Modern hunting9.7.1 The influence of driven pheasant shoots on British woodland9.7.2 The influence of modern hunting enclosures on Spanish woodland9.8 Conclusion9.9 References

PART 3. How plants and animals have responded to the changing woodland and forest cover.Chapter 10. The flora and fauna of coppice woods: winners and losers of active management or neglect10.1 Introduction10.2 The diversity of coppice10.2.1 Plants10.2.2 Birds10.2.3 Invertebrates10.2.4 Deadwood and associated species10.2.5 Mammals10.3 Impacts of deer browsing on flora and fauna in coppice10.4 Conservation strategies10.5 Short Rotation Coppice10.6 Conclusion10.7 References

Chapter 11 The importance of veteran trees for saproxylic insects11.1 Introduction11.2 What are saproxylic species11.3 Veteran trees in past and present landscapes11.4 Important structures and associated species in old trees11.4.1 Microhabitat diversity11.4.2 Tree cavities and their invertebrates11.4.3 Other microhabitats11.5 Effects of environmental factors on the invertebrate fauna11.5.1 Effects of tree characteristics on species assemblages11.5.2 Effects of surrounding landscape on species assemblages11.5.3 Catering for the needs of the adult as well as the larvae11.5.4 Survey methods11.6 Current situation in Europe11.7 How to preserve the specialized saproxylic species?11.7.1 Management for increasing habitat amount and quality11.7.2 Management for securing spatio-temporal continuity11.8 Future prospects11.9 References

Chapter 12 The changing fortunes of woodland birds in temperate Europe12.1 Introduction12.2 The birds of the early Holocene12.3 The birds of the wildwood: alternative models of forest dynamics12.3.1 Largely closed forest – ‘closed canopy’ scenario12.3.2 Open mosaic landscape – ‘wood pasture’ scenario12.3.3 Forest-dominated, but more varied – ‘closed but varied’ scenario12.4 Fragmentation of the wildwood12.5 Effects of the historical emergence of management12.6 The age of managed pasture woods and coppice12.7 The shift towards high forest12.8 Woodland birds today12.8.1 Population trends12.8.2 Influences of agriculture12.8.3 Forestry intensification12.8.4 Birds and afforestation12.9 Recent trends12.10 Conclusions12.11. References

Chapter 14. Gains and losses in the European mammal fauna14.1 Introduction14.2 Aurochs14.3 The carnivores14.3.1 Wolf14.3.2 Brown bear14.3.3 Lynx14.4 The Beaver14.5 A species that has done too well14.6 The decline and rise of wild boar and deer14.6.1 Wild boar14.6.2 Deer14.7 Conclusion14.8 References

Chapter 15 The curious case of the even-aged plantation: wretched, funereal or misunderstood?15.1 Introduction15.2 What is an even-aged plantation?15.3 A brief historical overview of Atlantic spruce forests15.3.1 The dominance of Sitka spruce15.3.2 Breaking up the conifer blanket15.4 Species composition of spruce plantations15.5 Ecological implications of stand dynamics15.5.1 Precursors - the creation of woodland through afforestation (Stage 0)15.5.2 Stand initiation (Stage 1)15.5.3 The impact of stand development – canopy closure and mortality (Stages 2 and 3)15.5.4 Prolonging the rotation and developing multiple storeys (Stage 4)15.5.5 Resetting the woodland through disturbance15.6 Forest design15.7 The landscape setting15.8 Where next?15.8 Conclusions15.9 References

PART 4. A variety of woodland histories.Chapter 16. Historical ecology in modern conservation in Italy16.1 Introduction16.2 Background16.3 The spread of an historical ecological approach in European conservation thinking16.3.1 Forestry versus Woodmanship16.3.2 Woodland or land-bearing-trees16.3.3 The need for an inter-disciplinary approach16.3.4 The role of historical ecology16.4 Integrating Historical and Local Knowledge into Management Strategies16.4.1 An introduction to the case studies16.4.2 Trees and Woodlands Producing Leaf Fodder16.4.3 Trees, woodland and soil fertility16.4.4 The collection of litter16.4.5 Trees invading bogs: an experiment in applied historical ecology16.5 Conclusion16.6 References

Chapter 17. Białowieża Primeval Forest: a 2000-year interplay of environmental and cultural forces in Europe’s best preserved temperate woodland17.1 Introduction17.2 Previous studies17.3 A new palaeo-ecological record for Białowieża Primeval Forest17.3.1 Methods17.3.2 Results17.4 Archaeological evidence17.5 Archival studies17.5.1 Royal forest of Polish kings17.5.2 Under Russian rule17.5.3 World War I to the present17.5.4 Changes in land use extent and character17.6 Dendro-chronological analyses of fire dynamics17.7 Interplay of natural and cultural forces17.7.1 The Iron Age17.7.2 The Migration Period, mediaeval and early modern times17.7.3 The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries17.7.4 The nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries17.7.5 The recent decades17.8 The role of large herbivores in shaping BNP17.9 Conclusions17.10 Acknowledgements17.11 References

Chapter 19. Forest management and species composition: an historical approach in Lorraine, France19.1 Introduction19.2 The study of forest history in France19.3 Historical forest uses and their consequences on forest management19.4 The making of the technical and legislative framework19.5 The consequences of forestry policies on forest composition in woodlands of Lorraine19.6 The modern forest - conclusion19.7 References

Chapter 20. Barriers and bridges for sustainable forest management: the role of landscape history in Swedish Bergslagen20.1 Introduction20.2 The European scale20.3 The regional scale20.4 Bergslagen – an introduction20.5 Forests, forest ownership and land use dynamics20.6 Barriers to sustainability20.6.1 Ecological sustainability20.6.2 Economic sustainability20. 6.3 Social and cultural sustainability20.7 Bridges towards sustainable forest management20.8 Discussion20.8.1 From forest history to history of forest landscapes20.8.2 Landscapes with different histories: using space for time substitution20.9 References

PART 5. Lessons from the past for the future?Chapter 21. The development of forest conservation in Europe21.1 Introduction21.2 Why conserve forests?21.2.1 As a spiritual place21.2.2 As a place for the Chase21.2.3 As a source of raw materials and a barrier against the elements21.2.4 For a new form of communing with the forests21.3 Type and extent of Protected Forest Areas21.4. Selection of protected areas21.5 Developing a European perspective21.6 Forest protection and conservation as part of land-use practice.21.7 Rewilding and forest conservation21.8 From the past to the future21.8.1 Conservation for people?21.8.2 What sorts of woods and forests will be conserved in future?21.9 References

Chapter 22 The UK’s Ancient Woodland Inventory and its Use22.1. Introduction22.2 Developing the ancient woodland concept22.3 The creation of the ancient woodland inventory22.4 Developing and using the inventories22.4.1 England: the ‘Red Queen’ dilemma22.4.2 Wales22.4.3 Scotland22.4.4 Northern Ireland22.5 Testing the limits of the English inventories22.5.1 Uncertain evidence22.5.2 What is a wood?22.5.3 How small can an ancient wood be?22.6 Conclusion22.7 References

Chapter 23. Tree and forest pests and diseases: learning from the past to prepare for the future23.1 Introduction23.2 Background23.2.1 Dutch Elm Disease, Ramorum blight and Ash Dieback23.3 The Dutch Elm Disease outbreak23.4 ‘Sudden Oak Death’ (ramorum blight) in the UK23.5 A landscape without ash?23.6 The lessons from history23.7 References

Chapter 24. Reflections24.1 Introduction24.2 Ways of exploring and understanding woodland histories24.3 Issues for the future historian24.4 From cultural landscapes back to wildwood?24.5 Europe’s woods and forests: the future?

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